Telescope: The Ironic Defence Of Cyril Almeida

Since Tuesday, the English news channels fiercely and rightly so, criticised the Pakistan government’s action: “Pak muzzling media”, “Journalist targeted by Pak govt” “#PakGagsMedia”, “Nawaz gags the media”, “Media crackdown in the name of security”, howled TV headlines. Other Pakistani journalists, including Dawn editors, were interviewed across channels and given a sympathetic hearing (NDTV 24×7, Times Now, India Today). “#Pakquashes Freedom”, “Azadi in Peril”, declared News X during its Tuesday evening discussion, lauding the “intrepid’’ Mr Almeida. Anchor Rahul Shivshankar deplored the fact that some people in Pakistan, like Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, were “free” to speak freely as their statements were perceived to be in the “interest” of Pakistan while others from “civil society” were gagged because they were at “cross purposes” with the government’s stance.

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